


only human (after all)

by parkerxheart



Series: cuddles & hugs [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: And Gets One, Angst, Crying, Cuddling, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hugs, Many of them, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Platonic Cuddling, Sleep troubles, movies - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 15:22:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20409973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parkerxheart/pseuds/parkerxheart
Summary: When the movie ended, Peter buried his face in Tony’s collarbone, trying to stop crying.“I’m not laughing at you, kid,” Tony said, mildly amused.“I know,” Peter sniffled. “That was so damn sad.”Tony pushed Peter away a bit to wipe away some tears. “You okay there?”Peter sniffled again and giggled a little bit. “I’m okay.”“It’s a virtual dog, kiddo,” Tony laughed.ORPeter has trouble sleeping, him and Tony watched Marley & Me, and they have a heartfelt conversation. And cuddles. Duh.





	only human (after all)

**Author's Note:**

> I'M NOT DEAD. HI.

A combination of anxiety, nightmares, and PTSD were not a very fit combination for a good night’s sleep, exclusively in Peter’s case.

Often, Tony was awake for most of the night as well, with that combination also active during the night. And they’d often head to the living room to watch a movie and fall asleep on the couch together, Peter on top of Tony’s chest as they both snoozed peacefully. 

Tonight was the same.

Peter awoke with a cold sweat dripping down his face and a racing heart, and shamefully headed down to the living room. 

The TV was already on and playing the news, but the billionaire occupying the couch paid no interest to it, doing something on his phone.

“Tony?” Peter said softly.

Without looking up from his phone, Tony opened an arm and Peter crawled onto the couch and snuggled up against him in the familiar position. Tony placed his phone on the coffee table and adjusted so he could be comfortable and rested his head against the Peter’s and placed his hand on Peter’s own.

“Can we watch a dog movie?” Peter asked quietly. “I was just thinking about my old dog.”

“Tessa?”

Peter nodded against Tony’s chest.

“Sure. Which are you thinking?”

“Mmm, MJ said  _ Marley & Me _ is good.”

Tony chuckled a bit. “Oh boy, that’s a sad one. I watched it with Pepper a while back.”

Peter shrugged. “Can we?”

“FRIDAY, play  _ Marley & Me  _ would ya?”

Half-way through the movie, Tony shifted again so he could hug Peter tighter, making him feel protected and safe and he relished it. He had always been small, and the man’s arms surrounding him was extremely comforting. He rested contently against Tony’s side with his head over his heart.

He knew the dog died in the movie.

He knew he was sensitive about death, but since it was a dog, he thought he’d be fine.

He thought he was prepared for it.

Turns out, he most certainly wasn’t.

Seeing it happen on screen made Peter start to sniffle as he tried not to lose it. He remembered his old dog Tessa and how she had to be put down and everyone else he’d lost, even though it was just a freaking dog movie. Tears slowly trickled down his face and dripped onto his hoodie.

“Awe,” Tony said gently, tightening his hold and using his free hand to cup Peter’s cheek and brush away a couple tears. “It’s okay, kid.”

Clearly it wasn’t, because by the time the movie was nearly over, Peter was fully crying, tears pouring down his face, and the embarrassment only made it worse. The sobs were quiet and more hiccups, that made his body jerk with each one. Pulling his sleeves over his hands, Peter hid the lower part of his face with them and sank further into Tony’s hold.

Wrapping both arms tightly around Peter, Tony rubbed his arm comfortingly, chuckling a little bit. “It’s okay, Pete. Shh.”

Peter had always been a cryer. He cried in sad movies all the time but for some reason this one was really destroying him. Dogs are everyone’s weakness, or so he tried to convince himself to take away some of the embarrassment.

When the movie ended, Peter buried his face in Tony’s collarbone, trying to stop crying.

“I’m not laughing at you, kid,” Tony said, mildly amused.

“I know,” Peter sniffled. “That was so damn sad.”

Tony pushed Peter away a bit to wipe away some tears. “You okay there?”

Peter sniffled again and giggled a little bit. “I’m okay.”

“It’s a virtual dog, kiddo,” Tony laughed. 

“You’re telling me you’ve never cried in a sad movie?”

Tony shook his head. “Nope.”

“You monster,” Peter mumbled, snuggling back against Tony. “I know you were laughing at me.”

“You think that you’re not gonna get a bit of teasing out of that?”

Peter hid in his hoodie, cheeks heating up drastically.

Tony laughed and ruffled his hair. “God, I love embarrassing you. It’s hilarious.”

“It’s a  _ dog _ . Dogs are my  _ weakness _ ,” Peter muttered, feeling his cheeks heat up even more.

“It’s all good, Pete,” Tony laughed. “I’m messing with you.”

Peter roughly wiped his face with his sleeves. 

“C’mere,” Tony said, laying against the arm of the couch. Peter pulled himself onto Tony’s chest familiarly and nuzzled his head under Tony’s chin. Resting one hand in Peter’s hair, Tony reached for his phone and messed around for a while.

Then he dropped the question.

“Pete, how come you haven’t been sleeping that well?”

“Oh, um . . .” Peter whispered. “I just- it’s just- it’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid. I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while. What’s going on?”

“I . . . I get nightmares and PTSD.”

Tony looked from his phone to Peter, who’s cheeks heated up again. “Oh kid.”

“And the subject of death is sensitive to me, which was why that movie hit as hard as it did,” Peter added quietly. 

“Shit, kid,” Tony whispered. “I’m sorry I laughed.”

“It’s okay. It’s stupid anyways.”

“It’s alright to be sensitive about death you know,” Tony said softly. “You’re so young, kiddo, and you’ve already lost a lot.”

Peter bit back more tears and buried his face in Tony’s chest. 

Tony wrapped his other arm tightly around Peter’s back and rested his chin on Peter’s head. “And I lied. I have cried in a sad movie. I don’t know if you’ve seen  _ My Sister’s Keeper  _ but that one got me.”

“Oh, I know that one. That girl dies, right?”

Tony nodded. “And it made me think about what it would be like to lose a child of your own.”

Peter’s heart dropped.

He looked up at Tony. “Are you . . . were you thinking about me?”

“Yeah,” Tony said quietly, gently pushing Peter’s head back down. “You know I think of you as my kid.”

Holding back tears, Peter managed to say the smallest, “I know.”

“I guess death is a sensitive thing for the both of us, huh?”

Peter nodded, knowing if he said anything, his voice would break and he’d cry.

“I love you, kid.”

And then that plan of trying to hold back tears went to shit as Peter croaked, “I love you too.”

“Pete, it’s okay,” Tony said softly, rubbing Peter’s back as he saw tears slide down the teenager’s face.

Peter sniffled and wiped his face dry. “I’m sorry.”

Tony brushed back the curls from Peter’s forehead and gave it a light kiss before he rested his chin on Peter’s head again. “It’s okay, shh.”

The tears didn’t last long, and Peter was quite tired by the end of it.

“Go to sleep, kiddo,” Tony whispered.

And listening to the comforting thumps of Tony’s heart, that’s what he did. 

**Author's Note:**

> okay so i am so sorry for my absence. i just got my laptop charger back so i will be writing again.
> 
> dear disney and sony: I WILL FUCKING DESTROY YOUR BLOODLINE YOU FUCKING BITCH


End file.
